A blog about gaming with miniatures... and history, SF, fantasy and more

Sunday, 17 March 2013

Book review – January and February 2013

I’ll
try a more condensed sort of books reviews for a while. Everything relating to history
and modelling I’ve read each month, with a couple of words on each book.
Hopefully to whet your appetite.

Much
WWI in early 2013, some brand new titles and some oldies.

Images of War
Blitzkrieg in the West, Ian Baxter, Pen & Sword, 2010, around
140 pages. Lots of interesting photos, but sadly some facts wrong in the text.
4 out of 5.

Erwin Rommel, Karl-Gunnar Hoffman, Osprey, 2004,
around 125 pages. Rather badly written and no analyses to speak of. Rather bad
actually. I rate it a weak 2 out of 5.

Flames of Calais – A soldiers battle 1940, Airey
Neave, Pen & Sword, penned in 1972, around 220 pages. Thomas pointed me to this book a
long time ago, and I finally got around to reading it. It is written by a veteran
of the battle of Calais in 1940, and a really good read. Especially good as the
gaming group is playing some of games from the Too Fat Lardies’ scenario-book The Defence of Calais. You’ll find accounts of some of the battles in that book here, from a
guy that was there. He is even a Big Man in some of the scenarios. I rate it a
4 out of 5.

Italian Medium Tanks 1939-45, Osprey New Vanguard
no 195, 2012, 48 pages. It’s an Osprey… Interesting about the topic, relatively
well written, and some good photos. 3 out of 5, just as you expect from an average Osprey.

Chuchill vol. 1, Leszek Moczulski,
AJ-Press, 2008, around 175 pages. Everything you ever wanted to know about the
Churchill tank, with loads of photos and drawings. Great book. A rating of4 out
of 5

Images of War – Special Forces Vehicles, 1940 to the
present day, Pat Ware, Pen & Sword, 2012, 144 pages. Loads of
photos and info on special forces vehicles, just as it says. I would have liked
more SAS/LRDG, but that’s me. Rating 3 of 5.

Images of War – British Tanks, the Second World War, Pat
Ware, Pen & Sword, 2012, 144 pages. I have this thing for British AFV:s,
and I got my fix here. Very nice book about the topic, with great pics. Also
American tanks in British service. Rating 4 of 5

Italian Navy & Air Force Elite Units & Special
Forces 1940-45, Piero Crociani and Pier Paolo Battistelli, Osprey Elite
191, 2013, 64 pages. A good summary of Italian elite units, both before
armistice and after. Good compliment to the other books on the italian armed
forces I have. Rating 4 out of 5.

My rating system

5 - A masterpiece. You have to read/see/visit.4 - Really good. Strongly recommended it if it is a subject of interest, and probably worth reading/seeing/visiting if not.3 – It’s OK. If it’s a subject you’re interested in, it’s probably worth reading/seeing/visiting. Otherwise you can probably skip it.2 - Well, not really... If it’s your subject you could possibly find something in it worth your while. Otherwise stay clear.1 - Stay clear. This is a waste of your time.